New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-01-22
LITERARY NOTES.

Only 100 copies will be printed Of the new vchum-
bound edition Of "Tbe Book Of the Tile Club" The Illus
trations will be printed Japanese paper, mouh'ou
OIL plate paper and the price OF tho volume VIII be soo
The E,, Orleans Picayue observes that 1t was under
The the in the South that the
remarkable school huor which, under the subsequent
treatment Of Artemus Ward Nasty and others at the
North has grown so popular was originated and deve
oped" and reminds Its readers that "Hut Lovengood In
person of the late Judge Harris Of Knoxville Tenn
the father of "Uncle Remus. Joel Chandler Harris
who thus comes by his huDor lcgitimately.
new Library Edition Of the wsverley Novels is nm
nounced by the B. Nppncott Co. 1t is issued IN con-
necton with Charles Adam Black. OF Edinburgh, and
is in twenty-five volumes at 81 20 volume.
There will soon appear in England an unexpurgateo
series Of The Plays Of the Old Dramatss editeo
with notes by Mr. 6winburne, Mr. Gosse ana o.her nv
erary men. Only the spelling will be modernized' III no
will the plays undergo any process OF
tits believed that. although they may sometimes run
counter to wbat IL called modern TASTE the free ana
splendid energy OF Ezabehan art with It's extreme rear
ism and its extreme idealism-embodyng as u does 'ne
best traditions English dramawi not suer from
the frankest representation
tisn always many words that make the most effective
criticism Canon Overton says that US student uhaer
the late Mark Pattison had to write an essay
LAS this was an unusual thing, determined TO turn out
an extrasuperne production; so used all the longest
words could think Of AIRED the most profound senti
mens and Produced have doubt, farrago OF vapd
and pretentious twadde though at that time was not
little proud Of my performance Patson read carefully
through turning page after page without utterins
single word When he had quite finished 1t he stared AT
with that stony glare through his spectaces when all
his pupils will well remember but still uttered not a
Had my stupendous performance taken away his
BREATH Was he lost in admiration OF Its merits was
II fautless that impossible for even so keen
critic to pick hole in iti At last the pause became SO
embarrassing that felt must break 1t at all hazarus
am afraid, SIR sadthongh did not think-th'tH
Is very bad He simply replied Very and handed the
now hateful back to left the room sad
der and trust wiser man. consigned my lucubrations
TO the flames and have since attempted to write in
the highfalutin yle."
That careful and valuable publication The American
Bookseller will print in its number for February
complete list OF all books published in this country during
the year 1885.
Mr. Andrew Lang's defence Of literary log rolling"
evokes this pungent paragraph from The Pal Mai
Gazette Nor Is the truth the only cause that suners
from the moral cOwardice which shrinks from plain
speaking alike to friend and to indifferent persons
The cause Of English letters suffers also. III false coin
passes unchecked the whole currency becomes deDased
The standard of excellence is lowered honest worth has
no better chance than empty ambition andincompetcnce
may even usurp OF the scholars Let US take an
argxnenun al hOminem. Mr. Lang, as everybody |
knows, sometimes makes serious contributions
to literature Often. too, his contributions
are In o very specialized field, IN which 1t
may well be that only two or three men at the
most are competent TO follow him. Well, even Homer
mods sometimes, and it is within the bounds OF legt
mate hypothesis therefore, that his translator may
sometimes bunder. Suppose the only man capable OF
correcting his plumbers is friend the correction not
to be given No. 1t is not, replies Mr. Lang Let the
varle 'scape whipping he, or even swaggcr IN
dishonest laures' And within certain limis-where,
for instance the varet in responsible POSITION or
where his proceedings of serious consequence TO
anybody but himself and his frends-one might agree
with Mr. Lang But if the rule is TO be made absolute II
can only assumption that English literature 10
not matter of public concern at ALL that 1t Offers not
sphere for strenuous aiming at excellence but only
lounge idle dettanG And this in very truth is just
what Nj Lang-wth an excess of modesty which makes
him forget the seriousness and Importance even OF much
Of his own wOrk-does here seem to assume There is
not word in his defence of the interests OF the public,
claims OF excellence OF the dignity OF literature
For all that his article either says or implies. you
might suppose that criticism simply joint stock
concern with other object than the declaration of
high dividendin cash creditor each and all Of the